Article Summary #4

January 29, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2010/01/100127211857.htm

According to several Penn State engineers, light is a better means of communicating than radio waves. Light offers a faster and more secure way of communicating when in restricted areas such as hospitals, aircraft and factories. Using light is not a new technology, light transmission systems are in use today but they either require a direct line of sight or have low signal strength. This new system of light transmission has two elements – the transmitter and the receiver. The transmitter turns electric signals into light signals and the receiver takes the light signals and converts it to electric signals. Most of the light signals that are transmitted are in the infrared frequency spectrum; however tests have been done using visible and ultraviolet light frequencies. This new technology is more secure than radio wave technology because with radio technology, if you are transmitting in a room, the next room over will be able to pick up your transmission. Light signals do not have this problem because light will not pass through walls, making it ideal for applications where mobility is needed but security is also a factor. If transmission to other rooms is necessary, then light sensors can be placed selectively to insure that only the people you want to receive the data will be able to. This is has practical applications in the consumer sector also. In neighborhoods, stealing internet is a big issue. With this technology, the signal would not transmit outside eliminating the need to secure and encrypt your data.